NSD Joins Dozens of Other Organizations in Joint Statement Supporting Uniting American Families Act

NATIONAL STONEWALL DEMOCRATS SUPPORTS UNITING AMERICAN FAMILIES ACT

National Stonewall Democrats is proud to join fellow organizations, leaders and individuals in supporting the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) as part of a push for comprehensive immigration reform. Binational LGBT families currently face the difficult decision of whether to leave their partners and children, rather than live in the country illegally; or move their entire family away from the place that is their home. With about 17,000 young children in the United States being raised by binational parents, the need for expansive reform could not be more urgent. UAFA will ensure that these families will no longer have to make the stressful choice between family and country.

“By including UAFA in a comprehensive immigration reform bill, the United States can truly live up to the ‘melting pot’ moniker that has encouraged foreign nationals to begin new lives in the United States for generations,” said Michael Mitchell, NSD Executive Director. “As a society of immigrants, we cannot stand idly by while immigration rules discriminate against LGBT Americans and their binational families.”

 *Scroll down to read Joint Statement*

With 120 affiliated chapters, Stonewall Democrats is the national organization for LGBT and allied Democrats. Stonewall Democrats works to elect pro-equality Democrats to public office and hold them accountable to advance the pro-equality policies and legislation important to LGBT Americans.

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Washington, DC – A coalition of organizations and leaders from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT), immigrants’ rights, civil rights and faith communities issued the following statement today as Members of Congress gathered on Capitol Hill to call for passage of immigration reform legislation that ends discrimination against LGBT binational families:

Today, key Congressional leaders joined forces on Capitol Hill to call on their colleagues to support passage of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) as part of any future immigration reform effort.  Tens of thousands of LGBT binational families are counting on this critically important legislation in order to achieve the most basic equality:  The freedom to be with their families, and the people they love.

Today’s united front in support of UAFA – with key lawmakers from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC); Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC); Congressional Progressive Caucus and Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus – could not be more urgent for the families who are facing separation, or already living in exile, because of our country’s discriminatory immigration laws.  An estimated 17,000 young children are being raised by LGBT parents in binational families and those children face the very real possibility of losing a parent, or leaving the only country they have ever called home.  The United States can do better, and we stand with these courageous Members of Congress who are leading the way to ensure these families can be together.

We are proud to support the Uniting American Families Act, and urge Congress to heed the calls of lawmakers today and ensure its passage before one more family is separated.  We are especially grateful to Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), who have led the effort on behalf of our families in Congress, as well as Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA), who has worked tirelessly to end discrimination against all immigrant families through his inclusive Reuniting Families Act.  Today, we are also heartened to have the steadfast support of key leaders such as Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA),Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) and others who believe that we must fix our broken immigration system for every family, including LGBT families. 

Our constituencies, members and congregations stand ready, willing and able to support passage of legislation that fixes our broken immigration system for all families, including LGBT binational families.  No reform can truly be called comprehensive unless it includes LGBT immigrant families as well. Today, leaders made clear that all future immigration legislation must be truly inclusive, and we are proud to stand with them in that call. We are committed to working, together, for this long overdue and much-needed victory and to honoring our country’s commitment to families and its rich history as a nation of immigrants. 

Signed,

Anti-Defamation League

AIDS Action Council

Advocates for Youth

CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers

Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA)

The Council for Global Equality

The Episcopal Church

Equality California

Equality Federation

Family Equality Council

Friends Committee on National Legislation

Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders

Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network

Bill Mefford, Director of Civil and Human Rights

- General Board of Church and Society, The  United Methodist Church

Hispanic Federation

Human Rights Campaign

Human Rights Watch

Immigration Equality Action Fund

Labor Council for Latin American Advancement

Lambda Legal

Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund

National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum

National Center for Lesbian Rights

National Center for Transgender Equality

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund

National Immigrant Justice Center

National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health

National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance

Out & Equal Workplace Advocates

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) National

People For the American Way

South Asian Americans Leading Together

Stonewall Democrats

UNID@S

Union for Reform Judaism

Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations